Friday, January 25, 2008

MARGIES BIMS

THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY-EXODUS 6:1-9

SCIENTIST IN THE UK HAVE CALCULATED THAT THE MOST DEPRESSING DAY OF THE YEAR COMES IN THE THIRD WEEK OF JANUARY. WINTER DAYS ARE DARK AND COLD, HOLIDAY EXCITEMENT HAS WORN OFF JUST AS CHRISTMAS DEBTS ARE COMING DUE, AND NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS HAVE ALL BEEN BROKEN.

THE CELEBRATIONS GIFT-GIVING, AND GOOD INTENTIONS THAT ONCE MADE US FEEL HAPPY NOW PRESS US DOWN AND LEAVE US FEELING HOPELESS.

LONG AGO IN EGYPT, THE HEBREW PEOPLE HAD HIGH HOPES THAT MOSES WOULD RESCUE THEM FROM SLAVERY. BUT THEIR HOPES WERE DASHED WHEN MOSES' GOOD INTENTIONS LED TO WORSE CONDITIONS FOR THEM.

INSTEAD OF GAINING FREEDOM, THE PEOPLE WERE PRESSED EVEN HARDER BY SLAVE DRIVERS WHO DEMANDED THAT THEY PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF BRICKS WITH FEWER RESOURCES.

MOSES CRIED OUT TO THE LORD, "SINCE I CAME TO PHAROH TO SPEAK IN YOUR NAME, HE HAS DONE EVIL TO THIS PEOPLE; NEITHER HAVE YOU DELIVERED YOUR PEOPLE AT ALL"(EX. 5:23) AS MOSES AND THE HEBREW PEOPLE WERE ABOUT TO LEARN, GOD'S RESCUE PLANS SOMETIMES DON'T KICK IN UNTIL ALL HOPE SEEMS TO BE GONE.

IN EXODUS 6, GOD SAID "THEREFORE SAY TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; 'I AM THE LORD; I WILL BRING YOU OUT FROM UNDER THE BURDENS OF THE EGYPTIANS, I WILL RESCUE YOU FROM THEIR BONDAGE,AND I WILL REDEEM YOU WITH AN OUTSTRETCHED ARM AND WITH GREAT JUDGMENTS.

IF CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR LIFE SEEM TO BE GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE, SENDING YOU INTO DEPRESSION AND DESPAIR, REMEMBER THAT GOD ALWAYS HEARS AND ANSWERS OUR CRIES.-BUT IT'S IN HIS TIME NOT OURS. WHEN YOU FEEL HOPELESS , LOOK TO THE GOD OF HOPE. HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME.